Improved steering apparatus



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE OOFFIN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED STEERING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,233, dated August 8, 1865.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE GoEFrN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ship-Steering Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying plate of drawings, hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specification of the same, wherein I have set forth the nature and principles ot' my said improvements, by which my invention may be distinguished from all others of a similar class, t0- gether with such parts as I claim and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent.

The iigures of the accompanying plate ot' drawings represent my improved steering apparatus.

Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of the poop and spar decks of a vessel, showing my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the upper deck. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken through the steering-wheel. Fig. -1 is a longitudinal vertical section.

The principal difficulty experienced in shipsteering apparatus as constructed according to lnodcrn improvements has consisted in the numberand complexity ot' its parts, as in case of dera-ngement or breakage at sea it is almost impossible to repair or replace such portions ot' the apparatus as may be damaged or rendered wholly useless.

The object ot' my imprvements is to combine great simplicity ot' construction with eX- traordinary power and quick and regular action, and in such a manner that the parts shall not be liable to get out ot' order or broken, or, if so, can be easily repaired or replaced by theships carpenter with materials usually on board.

a a a in the drawings represent the upper or quarter deck of a vessel having placed on it the steering-wheel b b, supported by suitable standards, c c.

To a drum, d, on thc axle of the steeringwheel are fastened two chains or ropes, e e, each'of which is fastened to a clasp,f, through which passesa pivot, g, that forms ajoint for tivo lever-bars, It i, the former being hinged to suitable posts, la, and the latter to a collar on the rudder-post l, the whole forming a togglejointed lever. A chain, m, connects the two sets ot' toggle-jointed levers, passing through the spar-deck a, as shown in Fig. 3.

It will be readily seen from the foregoing description that aslight turn of the steeringwheel will, through the alternate movement of the toggle-j linted levers, convey the necessary action to the rudder with great power, quickness, and regularity, and that the maximum of poiver is applied when it is most requiredviz., when the resistance to the rudder is the greatest or when it is hard-up.7

An advantage especially to be mentioned arising from the above-described arrangement ot' devices consists in the fact that so little movement is necessaryto be given to the wheel inorder to convey the necessary action to the rudder, a turn ot' two spokes, for instance, ot' the wheel giving the extreme limit of motion to the iudder. The power being applied also between-decks leaves the quarter-deck cle-ar ot' all obstructions and avoids the liability of any of the parts being carried away by a sea breaking on board.

Having thusdeseribed my improvements, what I claim as my invention, and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of the two set` of toggleljointed levers attached to the rudder-post and y GEO. OOFFIN.

Witnesses:

J osEPH GAvE'r'r, 0. A. HoUGHToN. 

